Originally written 10 years ago (updated in 2024), this weekly cleaning schedule is still something I refer back to today. Over the next few months, each template from the Home Management Binder will be re-introduced for easier customization. I hope that with the new formatting, it is something that will make your day-to-day home life easier, allowing you to make time for the things that you truly enjoy.
HOME & GARDEN
Weekly Cleaning Schedule
March 6, 2014
The following content may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something from the links, we may receive a commission.
Weekly Cleaning Schedule
Regardless of what stage of life you’re in, home management doesn’t always make it to the top of the priority list. Having a weekly cleaning schedule is one of the easiest ways to stay on top of your domestic duties. With work, kids, school, schedules, and commitments, life feels busier than ever. For some people, keeping a clean and orderly home comes naturally. For the rest of us, it takes a little more work.
From the start of our life as two, I have always been amazed how two loads of laundry a week somehow turned into three and then that number multiplied again when our family started to grow. The same goes for all of the household chores as more rooms, beds, bathrooms, and stuff were introduced. It truly is a never-ending battle to keep a house tidy.
After completing 8 Simple Steps to an Organized Home, it seemed fitting to jump into a weekly cleaning schedule next. This blog post was originally written in March of 2014 and it is fitting that it should be updated a decade later in March as well. There’s something about spring that puts us in a “cleaning” mood and a desire for renewal within our home.
Ready to jump right in? Scroll down for our free printable weekly cleaning schedule template!
What is a Home Management Binder?
This weekly cleaning schedule template is one piece of many that will be re-introduced over the next few months as an addition to our Home Management Binder. But what exactly is a home management binder? If you are not familiar with this term, a home management binder is a physical binder that contains lists and documents that assist with running the home.
Although I emphasized physical here, a home management binder doesn’t have to be something you hold in your hand (but that is our preferred method). You can save these templates to a folder on your computer or smartphone and reference back to them as needed.
The first section of our FREE home management binder is a weekly cleaning schedule. While most people know that certain duties need to take place periodically to keep a clean home, other tasks get swept under the rug. This schedule will, at the very least, show what needs to be completed be it weekly, monthly, or seasonally.
Many people like to choose a specific day to do general cleaning (dusting, bathrooms, floors, etc.) for the entire home. While I love the satisfaction of a completely clean house, I don’t always have 3 – 4 hours to spare in a single day, but I can usually squeeze in an hour here or there.
That’s why I started doing single activity cleaning rather than whole house cleaning. You might be thinking, what exactly does that mean? Well, rather than cleaning the entire house in one session, I try to tackle a main task for the day such as bathrooms on Monday, dusting on Tuesday, and so on (along with other daily tasks – like dishes or laundry).
On Friday, it is a dedicated “swing day.” Rather than creating a “spring cleaning schedule,” this day will be dedicated for monthly and quarterly seasonal tasks. This weekly cleaning schedule is something I implemented almost 10 years ago and still follow this routine to this day. Maybe one day I’ll have an entire free morning or afternoon dedicated to cleaning, but in this season of life, it’s simply not an option.
*Our seasonal home maintenance schedule is here!
For now, here is our family’s weekly cleaning schedule. Each day has its own main duty such as dusting, bathrooms, floors, etc. You may also notice a number after some of the items. These are monthly items so a (1) means that you would do this on week 1 of the current month. A (2) means that this item is for week 2. If it’s a month with five weeks, then woohoo, no additional tasks for that week.
Feel free to print our weekly cleaning schedule template or use it as inspiration for your own cleaning schedule.
Daily Cleaning Schedule Example
Daily – General Tidying Up
⊹ Wipe down countertops and tables
⊹ Load/unload dishwasher
⊹ Take out trash
⊹ Make beds
⊹ Pick up around the house
Monday – Laundry, Dusting, Glass Surfaces, and Windows
⊹ Laundry – We do laundry twice a week. This includes all clothing and towels and once a month (or quarterly), draperies and window covers.
⊹ Dust windowsills and baseboards
⊹ Dust tables and chairs
⊹ Dust books, picture frames, etc.
⊹ Dust vents, lights, and ceiling fans
⊹ Clean all mirrors and glass surfaces
⊹ Polish wood furniture (1)
⊹ Clean windows and blinds (2)
⊹ Dust ceilings, and walls, specifically corners (3)
⊹ Wash, dry, and iron draperies and curtains (4)
For dusting, I always use Swiffer dusters. I have both the small-handled starter kit and the extendable version. I like using the smaller handle for basic dusting and the extender for baseboards, crown molding, and hard-to-reach places.
Tuesday – Bathrooms
⊹ Bathroom sink and vanity cleaned, disinfected, and rinsed
⊹ Tub and shower cleaned, disinfected, and rinsed
⊹ Toilets cleaned and disinfected
⊹ Wipe down bathroom fixtures
⊹ Trash emptied and wiped out or liner replaced
⊹ Wash shower curtains (1)
⊹ Clean and wipe out cabinet drawers (2)
Wednesday – Kitchen Deep Clean
⊹ Wipe down kitchen cabinet fronts
⊹ Clean countertops and backsplash
⊹ Scrub and disinfect kitchen sink
⊹ Clean microwave inside and out
⊹ Wipe down small appliances
⊹ Clean exterior of appliances
⊹ Clean out refrigerator / freezer (1)
⊹ Deep clean 1 appliance – stove, oven, dishwasher, disposal, coffee machine (2/3/4)
Thursday – Laundry, Floors, and General Tidying Up
⊹ Laundry – Along with general laundry, we also wash sheets on Thursdays. You could do this weekly or bi-weekly depending on the amount of time you have.
⊹ Straighten up bedrooms
⊹ Cushions and pillows flipped and fluffed
⊹ Wipe doorframes and switch plates
⊹ Empty trash cans
⊹ Vacuum carpet and rugs
⊹ Sweep / damp mop tile and hardwood floors
⊹ Wash sheets, blankets, covers, and pillows (1 / 3)
⊹ Spot shampoo carpet, rugs, and doormats (2)
⊹ Clean under beds, couches, and chairs (4)
Friday – Swing Day
*See Seasonal Home Maintenance Schedule
If you enjoyed this weekly cleaning schedule and are looking for more free resources to get your home in order, you will enjoy 8 Simple Steps to an Organized Home.